Elrene sharpens prices on green

Elrene Home Fashions offers its new "eco home" table linens and soft window treatments in earth-friendly constructions but at sharp prices comparable to regular retails.

At the New York Market – Table linens, kitchen textiles and soft window treatments supplier Elrene Home Fashions has found the right recipe for creating earth-friendly products at “meaningful” prices that are palatable to customers in today’s economy.

Dubbed “eco home by elrene home fashions,” as the label shows in a casual lower-case font with a clean image of a green leaf, this new line encompasses table linens and soft window treatments.

“Although most people want to do something for the environment, unless you offer at right price the product isn’t as meaningful,” explained Christine Siegel, design director. “Retailers don’t want to pay more for eco products, but they do want the products. So we worked very hard on this over the course of the past year to help the environment while staying in-line with key retails.”

For the table, there are five sets that each employs a different constructions and styles.

The average price points include tablecloths set to retail between $19.99 and $29.99 and placemats priced at $3.99 to $4.99.

“We’re trying to leverage our volume with our existing resources,” said Bryan Siegel, chairman and ceo. “We use our relationships with our producers to bring more meaningful prices. Everyone is taking a hit on margin, but we can bring this and make a large volume business.”

The first is a 100% phthalate-free placemat collection. These pieces do not include any phthalic acid-based materials typically used in plastics or solvents. The two available looks in this grouping are Maya, a solid colored mat, and Cousteau, a tri-colored tonal mat.

The second set comprises 45% recycled plastic bottle fiber and 55% polyester placemats, which come in a solid-colored double needle top-stitch pattern called Cyress.

A grouping of 100% recycled plastic bottle fiber placemats makes up the third collection. These pieces come in two designs: Eco Linen, an overall linen look in a solid-colored double needle top-stitch, and Terra, a formal stripe also made in as a solid-colored double needle top-stitch mat in a different palette.

Aris, a solid-colored pattern with a double hemstitch border, is the name given to the 100% organic cotton collection of matching tablecloths, placemats, napkins and runners.

And finally, recycled fresh fabric cuttings – made of 95% cotton and 5% other fibers – is the construction of the fifth table linens collection of earth-friendly products. The design is titled Sierra and it is a tri-color tonal scheme interpreted on a tablecloth and napkins.

The palette of Elrene’s eco home table linens collection consists of “fashion colors” that at the same time recall nature, said Christine Siegel. It includes java, thyme, sand, steel, spice, reservoir blue, and black.

The same advanced – and more affordable – eco-friendly technologies Elrene offers in table linens are being translated in the company’s soft window treatment division. In addition, the curtain assortment is being enhanced for market with the new branded Ultra-Fresh collection.

As the company’s kitchen tiers category continues to grow, Elrene has turned its attentions to the line and given it a “fresh” look. Ultra-Fresh tiers are printed and solid kitchen tiers that employ the brand’s antimicrobial finish, which works to protect the fabrics, makes them resistant to stains and kills germs on contact.

This collection is in addition to a new Ultra-Fresh collection of matching kitchen textiles.

The suggested retail price for a valance is $9.99. “We’re just trying to bring added value all the time to give buyers and consumers reasons to buy,” Christine Siegel said.

Cecile B. Corral has been a product editor with Home Textiles Today since late 2000. She covers the area and accent rug, kitchen textiles, table linens, beach towels, decorative bath and decorative pillow categories, as well as some retail subjects.

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